I attended the
first European EPIC (Ethnographic Praxis in Corporations) last Friday in
beautiful, sunny and hot Barcelona. It was the first time I attended a meeting
of this kind. It was a very interesting experience, I learnt a lot. I learnt
that there is a complete body of professionals “worried” about making the
workplace a better place, looking at all possible perspectives (technology,
hierarchy, command…) but above all, looking at it from the a human viewpoint.
As the day
progressed and I listened to the panellists about what their issues were, how difficult
was for academic experts to collaborate with the industry, I could not help
thinking that the model of professionalism and career evolution in companies has
clearly been evolving and that we are in front of a dramatic change.
We are facing
the era of the ever learning professional, which is maybe not news for most of
us. However, we are also entering the era of the ever teaching professional, which
might not see so obvious as a need to survive as a professional at this very
moment. Corporations should understand that the best way for their people, their
staff to be fit to productively provide the right strength and performance lies
on them becoming a continuous source of inspiration and help for future
generations, both internally and externally. If that were already the case,
natural cooperation between academia and industry would not be exceptions but
the rule and both worlds, above all the industry, would be profiting from intellectual
enrichment and motivational energy and a very high level of tailored well
focused expertise coming directly from universities.
The perfect
professional: the eternal student, the motivating professor, the inspiring
leader.
